Peices of Shattered Glass
by moonshadow2012
Summary: TFP characters in the shattered glass universe. Optimus Prime of Shattered Glass is determined to destroy the 'traitorous clones', but they have other ideas.
1. Part 1

**TFP – Shattered Glass**

"Arcee!" Bulkhead yelled as the blue femme raced over to them. She was running for her life, and her optics widened when she saw them.

"Get back inside!" She shouted, gesturing wildly. "Get back!"

_What? Why?_ Bumblebee beeped. Just then the reason why appeared over the hill. Arcee tripped from a cannon shot and rolled to the feet of the mechs. Bumblebee immediately knelt down to help her up, an arm around her waist and a hand grasping her arm. Only when she was standing did he look up. What he saw made him freeze, unconsciously tightening his grip around Arcee.

"Looks like the traitorous clone found some friends." A purple and black Bumblebee with red eyes sneered. His cannons – much more impressive than Bumblebee's own – were out and ready. Behind him were equally-dark-colored versions of Cliffjumper and Blur.

"A Wrecker?" Dark Cliffjumper scoffed. "Seriously?"

"How's this sound? Fifty points per traitorous clone?" Dark Blur suggested. Dark Bumblebee laughed.

"You're on. Loser cleans up the mess." He challenged. At that, all three of them alt-formed and raced down the hill.

"Is that…?" Bulkhead was as speechless and motionless as Bumblebee. Arcee had no such handicaps. She turned around and pushed at her comrades, trying to force them through the portal.

"Go!" She screamed. This time they listened, trying to run backwards through the shimmering blue-and-green light. Unfortunately, that was when Optimus Prime decided to make a dual appearance. One of him came from inside the portal, colliding with his three soldiers who were trying to escape and knocking all but Bulkhead back on their skid plates. The other appeared from behind them all.

"Autobots, halt!" Dark Optimus shouted. The portal fizzled shut behind Optimus and the other Autobots from Earth turned slowly to face the monster on the hill behind them.

"Check it out, boss-bot," Dark Bumblebee laughed. "Clones." Dark Optimus nodded.

"Well, well, well. It looks like our little femme wasn't alone." He said. "Take them alive – it's more fun to hear them scream." The Earth-based bots tensed, awaiting the attack from their Dark comrades. Instead, a volley of fire from all sides threw them to the ground, stunned. Bumblebee's optics on-lined to see his Dark self behind the barrel of a cannon.

"Get up." Dark Bumblebee commanded. Bumblebee got up slowly, seeing his friends around him being forced to their feet. Dark Bumblebee fastened stasis cuffs on his other self's wrists and turned him roughly around. Optimus looked on as his young scout was prodded roughly toward his dark self who was waiting on the hill, followed by Arcee and Bulkhead being led by familiar faces that had been darkened by whatever horror had shaped this parallel universe.

"Optimus Prime." It was eerie for Optimus to hear his own voice in that dark, twisted tone. He looked fearlessly into his Dark self's optics. His Dark self smiled. "If you're anything like me, you'll be the most fun to break."

"Should we take them to Iacon, sir?" Dark Blur asked. "We could lock them up in the dungeons or set up the torture room right away or just take them all to the slag pit or,"

"Blur, if you don't stop talking I _will_ take out your voice box most painfully." Dark Optimus threatened. Dark Blur shut up quickly, gripping Arcee's arm tighter in response. He smiled. "The Bulkhead clone goes to the torture room along with my clone. The Bumblebee and Arcee clones go straight to the slag pit." He said.

"No!" Optimus struggled against his captors as Dark Bumblebee and Dark Blur lead his two smaller, younger soldiers away. They dug in their heels and tried to wrench themselves away. "Please, let them go. I'll do whatever you want." Optimus didn't like begging, but he would stoop to whatever level he could to save his friends. Dark Optimus held up a hand and his two soldiers stopped suddenly.

"On second thought – take them all to the slag pit. I want to see just how weak my clone is."

"No!" Optimus struggled, but was forced to watch Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead taken away. Bulkhead struggled at first, but caught on when neither of the smaller bots resisted. Optimus felt his spark breaking as he realized they were trying to be strong for _him_, to ease _his_ pain. He bowed his helm and struggled to stay strong for them in return.

…

The slag pit turned out to be nothing more than a circular length of floor surrounding a large caldron of fire. A long plank extended to the center of the caldron, just above the flames. The flames danced and snapped, sparking and casting shadows along the walls and bots in the room where Optimus Prime was chained to the wall. He was forced to watch as each of his three comrades were brought out to be beaten before his eyes.

When Bulkhead was shoved to his knees beside Arcee and Bumblebee, Dark Optimus laughed, walking over to Optimus. Optimus shot a deadly glare into his own optics. Never more had he wished so much that looks could kill. But he knew in his spark that even if he could kill himself, his loyal Dark Autobots would finish the job he had started. Optimus' own Autobots were too exhausted to stand, every move causing pain to shoot through them. Bumblebee leaned over despite the pain and touched Arcee's helm gently with his own.

_We're going to be okay,_ He lied transparently. Nevertheless, Arcee was grateful for the lie. She leaned into him.

"Yeah, we will." She whispered back. "Very soon."

"I see how much it hurts you when we hurt them." Dark Optimus observed. "Why don't we see how much it hurts when one of them is extinguished?" His Autobots cheered, a sound so sickeningly familiar it made Optimus want to scream himself. Dark Optimus turned around, facing the Earth-based Autobots. "Who will be the first to die?" He asked. "Will it be the femme?" He reached out to stroke Arcee's face. She jerked away, leaning closer to Bumblebee.

_No!_ Bumblebee beeped angrily. _Leave her alone!_ Dark Optimus studied him thoughtfully.

"Are you volunteering to die in her place?" He asked.

"Bumblebee, don't," Arcee warned. "Please, don't." Bumblebee stayed quiet. Dark Optimus pulled Arcee to her feet.

"I guess it's you then." He sighed with transparent regret.

_No!_ Bumblebee exclaimed louder, struggling to his feet. He looked up at Dark Optimus with defiance shining bright in his young optics. _I will go first._

"No!" Arcee screamed. "Bumblebee, don't you glitch-head!" But she was already being forced to her knees, held there by Dark Bumblebee. Bulkhead was also trying to rise to the aid of his friend.

"Let him go! He's just a kid!" He shouted. It took three Dark Autobots to hold him in place.

"Bumblebee!" Optimus shouted as Dark Optimus shoved him onto the plank. Bumblebee looked back once, then slowly walked to the edge of the plank before turning again to face them.

"Bumblebee, I'm sorry. This is all my fault." Arcee choked.

_Don't be silly._ Bumblebee scoffed. _We didn't have to follow you here, but we did._

"Traitor and pretender of the Autobot cause, how do you plead?" Dark Optimus' voice echoed off the walls.

Bumblebee stayed silent, staring beyond the malicious leader to the face he knew so well. Optimus' optics were full of pain – he was mourning his scout already. That made Bumblebee happy in an odd way. He knew his friends would miss him, and that was all that mattered really. He hoped they made one of their crazy escapes and got back to Earth. He hoped they ended the war and lived happily ever after like in Raf's human stories. He hoped Raf wouldn't be too sad. But of everything he wished for, Bumblebee couldn't seem to wish away one thing he had done that had led to this. He didn't regret anything, because everything had led to finding real friends and a real family.

"Well if you're not going to defend yourself, the jury pronounces you guilty!" Dark Optimus cackled.

Arcee wished the gun had come up in slow motion, like on one of the human movies. She wished it took forever to load, and then fired slowly. She wished the multi-barreled cannon's blasts had progressed slower than snails along the plank towards Bumblebee's chest so she could see him alive just a little longer. But that didn't happen. Dark Optimus' cannon came up, he fired, and Bumblebee only had time to lock optics with her for the last time before the shots struck him in the chest and pushed him off the edge. There was no fear in his optics as he plunged into the fire.


	2. Part 2

**TFP – Shattered Glass**

"Ratchet, what happened? The portal just disappeared!" Raf shouted.

"I know, I know. Let me try to get it back." Ratchet's fingers moved desperately across the ground-bridge computer. It had taken nearly all their power to track Arcee's signal beyond their realm of reality. He had _warned _them it would only last for a few minutes, frag it! He'd told them the portal was unstable! He hadn't even been sure Bumblebee and Bulkhead had made it across when it took them so long so Optimus had decided to go himself and now they were all gone! Ratchet shook his head. Not gone. Not yet. He just had to reopen the portal and get them back.

"Ratchet, what is taking so long?" Miko asked.

"Will you all just _be quiet?_" Ratchet screamed. The three children froze, not surprised by the tone of his voice, but afraid of what it implicated. They knew that whenever Ratchet freaked out on them, he was really upset about something. It happened a lot, but it was slightly nerve-wracking when their best friends' _lives_ were at stake.

"Can you at least tell us if you can still track their signals?" Jack asked. "It's been a while since they went through."

"I know, I know." Ratchet murmured. "But I don't have time for that right now." Miko opened her mouth to say 'it's right in front of you', but thought better of it, biting her lip. If Ratchet didn't want to check, that meant he was afraid of the results.

…

In the parallel version of Iacon, Bulkhead was trying to comfort Arcee. She was staring at the ground in disbelief, her optics betraying the raw pain she was feeling. Bulkhead was better at keeping his cool, better even than Optimus himself at the moment, who was sagging in his chains, misery evident on his faceplate. It was bad enough that they had just lost Bumblebee, but seeing Optimus torn up about it was too much.

Bulkhead had once told the kids he'd never see Optimus 'laugh, cry, or lose his cool'. But now he had. And that was one impossible thing he had never hoped to experience. Bulkhead looked up to shoot Arcee's captor a few choice words, just for the sake of taking out some of his anger over the loss of his surrogate younger brother. Then he saw the face, the hands that were holding her captive.

Dark Bumblebee.

Bulkhead dropped his helm to his chest and sighed deeply, trying to let out some of the rage he was feeling so he could think straight. Because with both Arcee and Prime in mourning, it was going to be up to him to get them out of this.

"Well that was fun." Dark Optimus was saying to Bulkhead's broken leader on the wall. "So much pain inside of you – and I haven't even begun to torture you yet." He shook his helm. "Amazing what trouble caring about someone can be."

"Trouble?" Optimus growled. "You've never known what strength can be found in the bonds we form with our friends." Bulkhead was glad to see that not all of Optimus' spirit was tied up in Bumblebee's loss. And his own words seemed to have some miracle healing powers, because he straightened up, looking his Dark self in the optics. "Even if Bumblebee has been extinguished," neither Bulkhead nor Dark Optimus missed the pain in those words, "Our memories of him will keep him alive forever, and his sacrifice only makes us stronger."

Arcee looked up, locking optics with Bulkhead. They nodded microscopically in synchronism and Arcee looked back down at the ground. Suddenly, she fell over, screaming in pain. She thrashed around and flipped out her guns, firing at random. Dark Bumblebee tried to keep hold of her, jumping back when he couldn't. Arcee kept thrashing around and firing.

"Keep her still!" Dark Optimus shouted. Spurred on by the tone in their master's voice, the Autobots holding Bulkhead moved to help, then remembered why there were three of them holding the large bot. Too late. Bulkhead threw them off and delivered a pounding to them that they wouldn't soon forget, or probably remember. Arcee was up at that point, shooting at the Dark Autobots who tried to help their comrades. Dark Optimus held up a hand to keep them from advancing to their doom.

Bulkhead and Arcee stopped firing, waiting for them to advance. Their bodies still hurt from the beatings, and they were mentally exhausted from watching their young friend perish at the hands of a Dark version of their leader. But Optimus was right. They were strong.

"I suppose you think you're clever, escaping like that?" Dark Optimus asked. "But I still have your leader." Arcee and Bulkhead's sparks sunk. They had forgotten about that. They traded a glance that simply said 'what now?'. They turned to the dual Optimus', not lowering their weapons in case he thought they were going to surrender because of that. Unfortunately, Dark Optimus was not as stupid as his insanity suggested. His optics shifted to someone who hadn't moved since the two Earth-based Autobots had started shooting. "Bumblebee, advance on them, but don't shoot."

If Arcee had been a human, her face would have been drained of color. Dark Optimus either knew their Dark selves or them well enough to know they couldn't shoot someone they'd just lost – no matter how Dark they were. She watched as the scout climbed to his feet, shooting his leader a wary glance before walking slowly toward them. Everything he did – his exaggerated movements that meant he was uneasy, his walk, his I'm-undecided-whether-I'm-supposed-to-be-scared-or-fearless-here look, his whole frame – reminded her of their Bumblebee, _her_ Bumblebee.

Bulkhead watched Arcee hastily put her blasters between her and the advancing scout. He put his cannons out toward the kid too. He tried to block his emotions, to be fearless and merciless like he'd always been as a Wrecker. But being with Team Prime – being exposed to Arcee's tough love, Optimus' trusting nature, Ratchet's gruff concern, Miko's crazy antics and hero worship, and Bumblebee's unconditional, undiscriminating love for everyone and everything no matter if it was an Earth insect or an Insecticon (on the off chance it had stopped fighting him for long enough to take advantage of that) – had turned him soft, as Jackie would say. He hoped desperately that something would happen that would take the choice away from him, because he knew if Dark Bumblebee got close enough to attack, he would have to shoot.

_Please, _He thought, though he had no idea what he was asking for, _Please…_

…

Bumblebee didn't know what dying was supposed to be like – he'd never done it before – but it was definitely not what he would have expected, if he'd spent his time alive thinking about such things. After the pain of being shot in the chest by a nasty-looking cannon that his Optimus definitely did _not_ have, he was falling towards the fire. He'd wondered briefly if the caldron had a bottom that would take him offline before he was extinguished, or if he would feel the agonizing pain of being burned/melted alive while fully conscious.

It was not a nice train of thought for a youngling to be dwelling on.

Then there was a bright, flashing light that blinded him. Raf had told him stories about the light that took you to Heaven when you died, but it was nothing like he had described it. For one thing, it wasn't white – it was blue and green. And for another thing, it wasn't engulfing everything he knew and lifting him off the ground – it was swirling and he was still falling, which was worrying. Raf had also told him about a place that is the opposite from up and Heaven that you can go when you die. And the third, most disappointing thing was that it didn't take all his pain away – he felt exactly the same pain from all his wounds as he tumbled down the light.

In reality, it was kind of like going through a ground bridge. The first thing Bumblebee saw after the light dimmed was a blurry figure standing over him. As the figure cleared, Bumblebee saw that it looked concerned and slightly familiar. He offlined and on-lined his optics a couple times to improve his vision. What he saw surprised him.

_Ratchet?_ He beeped. _You're dead too?_

"Not yet, kid." Ratchet helped Bumblebee to his feet, taking off the stasis cuffs the old-fashioned way – by breaking them. Bumblebee realized that the light _had_ been a ground bridge. Which was a very good thing because Arcee, Bulkhead and Optimus were still up there and needed his help – and the fact he wasn't dead was a good thing too.

"Why did you ask if Ratchet was dead too, Bumblebee? Are the others okay?" Raf asked.

_Well the dark, scary Optimus captured us and beat us up and then made me walk the plank into a boiling lake of lava. _Bumblebee informed him. Raf's mouth was open and he blinked a couple times.

"Has your processor been damaged, Bumblebee?" Ratchet asked him. Bumblebee shook his head.

_No, I'm serious…Ow._ He winced, dropping to his knees at a sudden painful assault from all his wounds at once. Ratchet gripped his arm.

"Where are the others?" He asked.

_They're still up there – I have to get back and help them. _Bumblebee struggled to his feet. His optics were malfunctioning and he fell again. This time Ratchet caught him before he hit the floor, because his legs didn't have the strength to hold him. Ratchet was brought back to a different time back on Cybertron when he had held a similarly-wounded Bumblebee. He turned him over and looked closer at the blast marks on his chest, and the other wounds all over his frame.

"You're not going anywhere right now." He murmured, taking the youngling over to the medical berth and setting him down.

_But we have to help them…_ Bumblebee murmured.

"We will, we will." Ratchet said. "But it's not going to do them any good if you're extinguished for real."

…

Optimus was helpless. It was a feeling that he got a lot, but he wasn't used to being literally helpless while his friends and comrades were backed up against a pit of lava by a darkened version of their former teammate. Then again, maybe no one is.

"Optimus, wait. We can reach an agreement – settle things diplomatically." Optimus said to his Dark self. Dark Optimus stared at him amusedly with optics that held no mercy.

"Diplomacy always fails. There is nothing that words can accomplish that violence cannot." Optimus growled.

"That is where you're wrong. There is much that violence cannot accomplish that words can. Understanding, hope, friendship – _peace_." Dark Optimus scoffed at the ideology being presented to him.

"Peace? There is no such thing as peace." He said. "There is only the absence of war." Optimus thought fast. Outsmarting himself was not something that he did often, so he didn't have a lot of practice. But maybe…he didn't have to outsmart himself. He had to outsmart…

"Megatron." Optimus whispered.

"What have you to do with that name?" Dark Optimus hissed. Optimus had struck a nerve. And when you strike a nerve of your enemy, you want it to bleed, and keep bleeding. "I bet a weakling like you has an alliance with him."

"On the contrary," Optimus said. "We're at war. And do you know why that is? Because he's just. Like. You. And he will fail – just like you. Do you know how many of his subordinates are deserting him? Have you gotten to that point yet, _Prime_?"

"No. And I never will." But Optimus could see the uncertainty behind the mask of confidence.

"Really? There is something words can accomplish – a team stronger than an army of hundreds. Why do you think that hundreds of Decepticons in my world can't stand against five Autobots?" He knew he was stretching it, but there was a time for lying. "Because no one really wants to fight for Megatron. Just like no one really wants to fight for you."

Optimus took the hand clenching his neck as a sign that his scheme was working. If he couldn't defeat this twisted version of himself, at least he could buy Arcee and Bulkhead a little time the best way he knew how – with _words_.

Arcee was trying to keep her head, but the visible shaking of her blasters and arms was enough to let everyone including her usually-oblivious-to-these-things self know that she was losing the battle. Dark Bumblebee had paused just outside Bulkhead's arms-length warily, watching the larger bot who looked a lot more threatening than his comrade. He looked over his shoulder at his leader for guidance, but none came. The two Primes were apparently locked in some sort of oral combat. All three of them were on their own.

"Surrender, and we'll let you live." Bulkhead's voice came out colder than he'd expected, and he congratulated himself inwardly when he saw Dark Bumblebee flinch. The pang of guilt that came instinctively afterwards didn't help his image, but he hid it as much as he could. He took the pain and turned it into anger and directed it at Dark Bumblebee. He felt his cannons warm up. He glared.

"One more step." He warned. Dark Bumblebee looked over his shoulder again for help that wouldn't come from anyone.

"Don't even bother. He doesn't care about you." Arcee's words sent Dark Bumblebee's faceplate into a flicker of…what was that? Fear? Pain of his own? That was when both the Earth-based bots got it. Bumblebee – both of him – had been born _after_ the war already started. Both of him had been found in the streets by _Optimus Prime._ Both of them had some form of hero worship for him. That was it. It was his – what would Miko call it? – kryptonite.

"She's right. All he cares about is himself and winning this war." Bulkhead chimed in. Dark Bumblebee's optics dodged between them. His face hardened and he brought up his own cannons.

"You're lying." He said. "Optimus cares about me – I'm one of his most trusted soldiers."

"That's not what we mean." Arcee said. "And you know it's not what you want either. You want someone to care about you – a family to replace the one you lost. And you'll never find it here. Never." Her words hit home with the scout, but Bulkhead sensed a change in his mood. And he recognized it – Bumblebee was never sad when something happened to him. He was mad, and sometimes he was a little bitter. But he never really hurt anyone out of anger because he was Bumblebee.

But this was a different Bumblebee. And this Bumblebee hadn't been taught by anyone to think of others before himself. This Bumblebee would have no problem killing them just to get a few cycle's relief from the pain he was feeling. This wasn't their Bumblebee.

"Arcee, _down_!" Bulkhead pushed her to the side as Dark Bumblebee fired at her. Desperate to save his friend, Bulkhead fired back. His four shots struck the scout in the chest. Energon exploded from his wounds and he fell to the ground, as lifeless as the other version of himself. Bulkhead's arms shook. He shuddered once and heaved a sigh.

"Are you okay?" Arcee rested a hand on his arm. He nodded, numb.

"I'm fine." He said.

"Well, looks like I was wrong about you. You're strong – for a traitor." Dark Optimus said. Bulkhead glared at him.

"And you're pathetic." He said. "Just because you can't defeat your Megatron doesn't mean you need to take it out on someone who can." He was referring to his own Optimus, but Dark Optimus didn't seem to care.

"No one can defeat anyone when they're broken." He pointed out, firing his cannons. Bulkhead winced, expecting the pain of the shots in his chest and the sensation of falling from a great height into fire. But it never came. He frowned, confused, and turned to ask Arcee about it.

But Arcee wasn't there.

…

_Are you done yet?_

"For the last time, Bumblebee, I'll be done when I'm done. Next time don't get yourself so messed up." Ratchet growled. He was preforming emergency first aid on the scout. He would have ordered anyone else to stay there for the safety of themselves and the team. But Team Prime's members – especially the young bots – had a tendency to disobey orders when they thought their team needed them. It was a quality historians would call admirable, and the doctors in the present would call stupid.

"Don't worry Bee. Bulkhead's probably got this covered." Miko tried to reassure him.

_Against a Dark version of Optimus and a whole army of Dark Autobots?_ Bumblebee chirped, incredulous.

"What'd he say?" Miko asked Raf.

"He said he still wants to help." Raf told her. Bumblebee rolled his optics.

_Sure. That's what I said._

"Sit _still_." Ratchet complained.

"So what was going on again? They're in a parallel universe where the Autobots are the bad guys and the Decepticons are the good guys?" Jack asked.

_That's what Arcee told me while we were being dragged to the Iacon Funhouse. But if the Decepticons are the good guys, they should be helping us. That's all I'm gonna say. _Bumblebee said.

"He said that's what Arcee told him." Raf translated. "Bee, do you think they're doing okay up there?"

_No one's fallen through the portal yet, so they're either fine or they missed us when they fell into the lava._ Bumblebee beeped.

"What?" Jack and Miko chorused.

"He says they're probably fine." Raf told them.

"That's good." Jack looked worried. "What if they overshot the portal?"

_Then maybe they grew wings and flew away._ Bumblebee twisted his arm just to annoy Ratchet. _How long until you're done?_

"Just a few more minutes unless you want to fall apart in the middle of the battle. Of course that'll probably happen anyway, but I'm trying to get the probability under eighty percent." The medic replied gruffly.

_Great, those are my kind of odds._ Bumblebee chirped, happier.

"You're insane." Raf told him.

_Thank you!_

"Are you sure you can't track them through the portal? Or maybe move it up a bit so they can jump through?" Jack asked, still worried about Arcee. Suddenly, something fell through the portal, interrupting Ratchet mid-retort. It rolled, smoking, to the center of the floor. Ratchet walked over to it as it turned over and looked up.

"Ratchet?" Arcee asked. "You're dead too?"


	3. Part 3

**TFP – Shattered Glass part 3**

Optimus had had bad days before. He'd lost battles, and been through massacres of his troops. He'd mourned more brave comrades than he could count. But never before had he lost half his fighting team while he had been standing helpless and hopeless off on the side – useless. Bulkhead was staring at the spot where Arcee had been as if he hoped she'd magically reappear. Optimus decided that if he was wishing for that, he might as well wish Bumblebee back with her and maybe Cliffjumper for good measure. Optimus had learned a long time ago that wishing back the dead only brought more pain.

"Stop this." Optimus begged the dark leader standing next to him. "What are you gaining from this?" Dark Optimus Prime turned to himself and lifted his chin with a finger so Optimus was forced to look into his optics.

"What am I gaining?" He asked. "Good question. I think it's along the lines of entertainment. And a delightful power rush." Optimus was sickened by this version of himself. He was sure that if he was a human he would be emptying the contents of his stomach. But he wasn't a human. And Cybertronians weren't designed to show pain or sadness. Unfortunately, they were able to feel it just as well or even more intensely than humans.

"Why don't you just kill us right now?" Bulkhead called, arms wide. His optics were wild with pain and anger. "What are you waiting for, a medal? Just get it over with!" Optimus was afraid for his comrade's mental state, but chained to a wall he could do nothing to comfort him.

"Seize him!" Dark Optimus commanded. The Autobots in the room swarmed to the Wrecker. Bulkhead did well – but no matter how good you are, numbers will always win. He was eventually subdued and dragged to the wall to be chained beside his leader.

"This is sick." He gasped, exhausted from the beatings he'd received from the mob and before when they had first been brought here. "Both Arcee and Bumblebee are dead and we're chained like trophies. Did you think it was going to end this way?" Optimus sighed.

"I've thought of many ways it could end. But I have to admit that having my spark extinguished by myself was never one of them." Bulkhead laughed bitterly.

"I'm glad to hear that." He said. "Standing there on the edge of the fire – missing Bumblebee and Arcee – I can't say the same for myself." Optimus turned his head to look Bulkhead in the optics.

"What stopped you?" He asked curiously. Bulkhead sighed.

"They did." He said. "They were brave. They didn't run away from anything. And they'd kick the scrap out of me in the Well of All Sparks if I did anything less." Optimus smiled at him.

"At least we'll all go down fighting." He said. "Together."

"Yeah." They turned to face the nightmare versions of friends and comrades. "Together."

…

"Hurry up, Ratchet." Arcee gasped, despite the pain from the cannon shots on her chest.

_That's what I said._ Bumblebee told her. _But he didn't listen._

"Both of you shut your traps before I take you both offline and go save Optimus and Bulkhead myself." Ratchet commanded. Arcee and Bumblebee shut up. "Young bots. Can't live with them, can't melt them down for spare parts. At least not with Optimus around." Ratchet grumbled.

"Don't worry you guys. If they throw them into the slag pit, they'll just fall right into base." Miko said.

"But what if they kill them before they throw them in the slag pit? Or kill them and not throw them in the slag pit at all?" Arcee asked.

"Arcee!"

"Sorry, Ratchet."

_How is the portal staying open so long this time?_ Bumblebee wondered.

"I'm running it off the main power core of the base. And…several other power sources." Ratchet murmured. Bumblebee chirped amusedly.

_Ratchet's siphoning power!_ He beeped at Raf. Raf laughed.

"Maybe you shouldn't tick him off right now, Bee." He suggested. Bumblebee shrugged.

_Whatever. Ratchet may _act_ like a cranky old bot, but he's really kind of a teddy bear on the inside._

"I'm a _what_?" Ratchet shouted, brandishing a welder threateningly. Bumblebee backed off, hands up in surrender.

_Very, very, very inside._ He amended.

"Okay, all done. But if you two get yourselves extinguished, I _will _hold you one hundred percent accountable."

"Agreed." Arcee jumped off the table. "Let's go."

_Um, has anybody thought of how we're going to get back up there?_ Bumblebee asked.

"Uhhh…." Ratchet murmured.

"Easy – you boost me, I'll help you up." Arcee shrugged. Bumblebee smiled with his optics.

_Oh good, at least you have a plan._

"Here's to hoping the walls aren't sheer." She grinned, taking his hand and pulling him through the portal. Everyone on the Earth side – human and Autobot – was quiet for a very long time.

"What?" Jack asked finally.

…

Arcee's plan worked, but then they were both hanging from the edge of the circular walkway watching the Dark Autobots drag Bulkhead over and chain him to the wall beside Optimus. They seemed to be talking as Bumblebee and Arcee looked at each other. The two strongest, most invulnerable members of their team were immobilized, and it was up to two almost-fatally-injured mini-bots centuries younger than them to rescue them.

"It's okay." Arcee said. "We've had worse odds." Bumblebee would have laughed at that if he could have.

_Yeah, okay._ He said. His own words echoed in his mind. _If they're the good guys, why aren't they helping us? _He wondered inwardly. Arcee was studying the Dark Autobots.

"They're all focused on Optimus and Bulkhead. If we could create a distraction, maybe we could sneak by them and free the others. But I have no idea what we could use to do that." She murmured.

"You…you're alive!" Dark Bumblebee coughed, sitting up. Bumblebee jumped up instinctively, flipping out his cannons and aiming them at the damaged scout's face threateningly before smashing a fist into his face to shut him up. But even as the dark scout fell to the ground, Bumblebee sensed a greater immediate danger. He looked up to see all the Dark Autobots staring at him.

"You're not dead." It wasn't a question, but it was spoken with respective disbelief and joy by both Optimus'. Dark Optimus walked over to Bumblebee. "You're not a figment of my imagination. Your optics track my movements so you're not a hologram – and I do not believe in spirits." Bumblebee had heard this speech once before. "So tell me scout, _what are you_?" He remained in a sitting position, staring up at the dark form of his leader. He shifted his position quickly to somewhat hide Arcee from view.

"Scrap." Arcee hissed, too quietly to be overheard. There wouldn't be any help for him coming from the Autobots on the wall, and all the Dark Autobots were too fascinated with Bumblebee's imminent re-execution to be of any help anyway. Arcee started. _All _the other Dark Autobots were too fascinated to be of any help. She edged along the side of the walkway, hoping against hope her motions wouldn't be noticed.

_Me?_ Bumblebee said. _What am I? That's an easy one…_ He spoke slowly, making sure his optics weren't tracking Arcee's movements. _I'm a scout. I'm the youngest Cybertronian alive._

Arcee jumped up onto the walkway behind the Dark Autobots and edged over to her friends, making as little noise as she could – which was almost none at all. She focused on Bulkhead first. Optimus was talented, but Bulkhead was the one she wanted on her side in a fight that was strictly shoot-first-ask-questions-later. Optimus tended to ask questions first and shoot when it was absolutely necessary, which was usually after he had already sustained heavy damage.

_I'm one of the only Autobots Megatron has ever allowed to live. I'm the reason we won at Tyger Pax._

"Arcee!" Bulkhead hissed.

"Shut up." She snapped in a low voice. "I'll have you out of here in a minute." She looked around for something, anything she could use as a weapon against the chains. She sighed and flipped out her blasters, heating up the barrels and pressing them against one of the chain links, trying to melt it away. Bulkhead got the picture and started pulling downward.

_I don't have a voice, but I still somehow talk too much. I'm the second-fastest Autobot. I'm a video-game addict._ Bumblebee could tell that his profile wouldn't interest Dark Optimus for much longer. But he also saw that he had done enough. _And…I'm the distraction._

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dark Optimus asked.

"It means get ready to get your can kicked, traitorous clone." Bulkhead said, flipping out his cannon on his free arm and shooting the chain that held his other arm and both of Optimus' point-blank. They melted instantly, and all three of the Autobots stood with their weapons out, aimed at the Dark Autobots.

"You took us by surprise the last time. It will not happen again." Optimus assured himself. "Surrender or be destroyed."

"Autobots…" Bumblebee jumped on Dark Optimus' back and flipped out his blasters, shooting the Dark Autobot commander several times in the head. Normally, being shot in the head with blasters the size of Bumblebee's, with a head the density – no pun intended – of Dark Optimus' would be no big deal. But being shot point-blank with blasters reflecting the anger of a kid who had had it up to _here_ with bots picking on his family was something entirely different. Dark Optimus crumpled to the ground – blind and deaf besides an insane whine and hot pain that surged forward from every enhanced sensor he had implanted in his helm.

_Autobots of this universe,_ Bumblebee jumped off, aiming his blasters threateningly at their leader. _Do _not_ attack._ The Dark Autobots looked from Bumblebee to Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead. And then they cleared out like Unicron himself was after them.

"Good work, Autobots." Optimus said.

"Not now, Optimus. We need to go." Arcee grabbed his arm and Bulkhead's and dragged them to the edge of the walkway.

"No one is going anywhere." Dark Optimus stood up. His optics were still malfunctioning, and he could barely hear himself – but he would not let anyone escape him. He flipped out his cannons.

"Sorry. Better luck next time." Arcee said. Then she, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Optimus Prime jumped towards the fire. "You know what would be ironic? If the portal closed before we got inside." She said.

"Shut. Up." Bulkhead snapped.


End file.
